The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on Thursday heard that the suspended Chief Justice of the Federation, CJN, Walter Onnoghen, did not make frivolous or luxury purchases but rather invested his money.
Recall that Onnoghen is standing trial on a six count charge bordering on false declaration of assets.
Ifeoma Okagbue, an official of Standard Chartered Bank, who managed the accounts of the CJN, also told the tribunal that the CJN’s accounts have always been active and had never been dormant since they were opened.
Giving details of the balances of five bank accounts belonging to Onnoghen,
Okagbue, who said she began managing the accounts in 2015, said he operated accounts in naira, dollars, euro and pounds. She also revealed that the accounts were opened in 2009 and 2010.
According to Okagbue, based on prevailing foreign exchange market rates as at March 21, 2019, Onnoghen had a bank balance of N90.6 million in his five accounts as at January 2018.
As at December 2018/January 2019, all the accounts had gone down to N46.58 million — at $1 = 359.50, £1 = 471.01, and €1 = 408.72.
Okagbue in her testimony said: “I had interaction with him in the course of my work.
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“The five accounts are currently active. On the account 5001062686, the opening balance in January 2018 was €30,178.58 but as at December 2018, the balance was €10,187.18.
“On account 0001062650, as of January 2018, the opening balance was $80,824.25, and by January 2019, the balance was $56,878 only.
“Account number 5001062693 as at January 2018 had a balance of N6,411,312.77 but in December 2018, the balance was N12,852,580.52.
“On account 5001062679, the opening balance as at January 2018 was £39,456.08 and by December 2018 the balance was £13,730.70.
“On account 0001062667, the opening balance as at January 2018 was N24,280,904 and as at December 2018, the balance was N2,656,019.21.”
The tribunal also heard from a former director of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Awal Usman, that the asset declaration forms of the CJN filed in 2016 have not been verified.
